Graduated valve



Oct. 23,V 1928;"

' LANZA GRADUATED VALVE Filed July 5l 1927 INVENTOR. a// in/2,9' BYQg/Vwij( ATTORNEY LUIGI LANZA, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

GRADUATED VALVE.

Application filed July 5, 1927. Serial No. 203,321.

My invention relates to valves, and it reters particularly to valves which are provided With graduations for the purpose of informing persons Whether the valves are closed or to What extent the valvesv are opened.

Although in the previous art attempts have been made to graduate valves -for the aforementioned purpose, such attempts have not been successful, because, as the packing for the stem of the valve member in a valve of this character becomes Worn and requires renewal or a retightening of the gland thereon, or as by the repeated turning ottl and on ot the lvalve member, the latter, as Well as the seat there for, becomes Worn, the mark, which indicates the closed position ot the valve memben and the marks, which indicate the successive open positions of the valve member, change their respective positions, and because no means has been provided for makinrgT it. possible to quickly cause the indicatingniarks to agree with such positional changes.

flhe mam obgect oit my invention is to provide, 1n a valve and on the stem ot the valve t nember thereof, an adjustable clement havincif indicating` marks successively arranged thereon 'for accurately indicating successive positions of the valve stem relative to the gland` so that the element may be quickly adjusted to a correct position upon the valve stem and backed thereon in order to indicate when the valve in its closed position or to indicate accurately the quantity ot' 'fluid flowin;Y at a certain pressure through the'valve.

Another object ot mv invention is to provide the gland in a valve ol this character with a plurality ot indicatingf marks adapted to register with the indicating' marks on the that` it the valve is installed in a fluid conduitr adiustable kelement upon the valve stem, so ,V

and claimed, it being understood that changes 1n the precise embodiment of the invention hereinafter disclosed may be made Within the scope. ot' the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation, taken mid-sectionally of a portion ol'l a 'alve body and shovingr 1n connection therewith the Working parts` which are included in the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a broken side elevation showing a threaded portion of a valve body, the gland connected therewith, and also the element, which is adapted to be adiustably connected with the valve stem, as surrounding the tubular member ot' 4the ,gland and beingr turned to a position which indicates that the valve is fully opened, the gland being adjusted on thc valve body to a position in ivhich the longi tudinal mark designated by the letter' A is most available for enablingr a person to read the positions of the valve member in the valve;

Figure 3 .is a plan of a valve having a gland thereon in the position shown in Figure 2. the st cm ot' the valve member being` in section rand Without the indicating element thereon in order to show the gland clearly; and

Figure 4l a side elevation, similar to Figure 2. but with the indicating element removed trom the valve stem and showing the gland turned to a position in which the loneltudinal mark designated by the letter l is most available tor enablingr a person to read the positions oliE the valve member in the valve.

Mv invention is shoivn in the drawings applied to a valve which may be or hetvpe havin;Y an ii'iternally threaded etension t5 at one side of the valve bodv for rcceivinvr therein the threaded end ot tlie valve-stem ,guide 7, the latter in its turn beingy internally threaded t'or engagement with the threadeii/ portion 8 ot' the valve stem E). `jiince the interior construction ot valves is Well known and is not a part or. inv invention, an illustration thereofc gland 10. which is adapted to compress a packing 11 placed at the end of the guide and around the stein S). In this instance, the gland is concentrically provided with a tubular niemlier 12, within which. when the gland is secured to the valve body, the valve stem may be tleely rotated, the stem being threaded, at its outer end .1.3 and also preferably pi'ovided adjacent to the threaded cnd ivith a slightly tapering. square portion 1l, which tits the interior olt tlie hub portion 15 ot a hand wheel 1li, so that the handwvli'eel may be placed upon the square portion 14- and may be secured to the stem by a nut 1T iii engagement with the threaded end v3.

A. barrel or tubular element 18, the inside diameter oi' which is such as to allowthe bai'- i'cl to be rotated freely on the gland extension 12, is at one end threaded internally, the hub portion 15 being correspondingly threaded externally for receiving the barrel thereon, and a nut 19 being' screwed upon the hub portion and adapted to press against the end of the barrel so as to lock the barrel to the valve stem in any desired circumferential position relative thereto. At its opposite end, the barrel is preferably tapering to aA comparatively thin edge. as shown at 20, and this tapering portion of the bai'rel is provided with a number of equidistantly spaced indicating marks fz', which are arranged longitudinally of the barrel and extend to the thin edge ot the tapering portion, as shown in Figure 2. The number of indicating marks a is in this figure suggested asl being twenty-tive, every fifth mark being designated by a numeral, and only the numerals 5, 20, and a cipher being shoivn, and the numerals being arranged in a counterclockivise orderion the barrel` as the lat.- ter is viewed from its end at the tapering portion.

Upon the tubular gland-member 12 are preferably arranged longitudinally and equidistantlyT a number of indicating marks Z), which are also preferablv extended over the Iiuncture portion 21 of the member 12 with the, gland and over the side faces 22 ot the lat-.

ter. so that each mark in its entirety is in one ilane. These marks, for the purpose ot illustration. are here shown as being six in number but their number may be smaller or greater. according to individual preferences or requirements. The marks mav be distinguished from one another by designating characters. and these characters are preterablv arranged both on the gland portion 21 and on the respective side faces 22 ot the gland. the characters in this instance being' shown as the capital letters A. B. C. D. E and F. and the arrangement of these letters being in a consecutive or alphabetical order in a reverse. direction to that indicated by the curved arrow in Figure 3. 1n addition to the marks 7), the gland member 12 has also thereon annular, indicating mai'ks c, Which are preferably cquidistantly spaced from onev another in correspondence with the spacing of the threads in the threaded portion S of the valve stem 9, the number ofthe marks c being shown as tive, and, in order to distinguish the marks c clearly from one another, designating numerals are placed at the respective marks, preferably at the intersection of the marks c with the longitudinal marks 7). these numerals beginning with ciphers at the mark o nearest to the gland port-ion 21, and the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4l being consecutively arranged aty the respective successive marks c.

lVith the understanding that the threads shown in the figures are right-hand threads, it is evident t'i'oin the foregoing' that, when the gland 10 tightened upon the packing 11 so that, for example, the indicating mark Z designated b v the letter' A is most available for observation, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the barrel or tubular element 18 may be adjusted upon the hub portion 15 ot the hand wheel 1G and locked in position so that the mark a, designated on the element by the ci plier` registers with the mark A on the gland 1,0 and the gland member 12 in order to indicate the closed position ol` the valve member in the valve 5. If the hand Wheel is then turned in the direction opposite to that indicated by the curved arroiv in Figure 3. the valve member is opened to an extent indicated by the relation ot' the marks a to the marks c and the mark b that is designated by the letter A. It, of course. should be understood that, if the valve 5 is assumed to be fully opened when the parts are in the position .shoivn in Figure 2. the reading disclosed b v a further turning of the hand wheel in the. direction opposite to that indicated by the curved arrow must be ignored, since a greater quantity ot iiiiid can not flow through the valveivhen the valve stem is turned bevond theindieated position than when the valve stein is turned exactly to it.

Again. when the valve stem turned iu the direction indicated b v the curved arrow in Figure 8 trom its fully opened position to a position between that and its aforementioned closed position.' the degree ot' valve opening. of course. is accurately readable bv observing the position of the niark a. which most nearlv registers With the mark 7) designated bv the letter A. and bv observing at the same time the position ot the edge of the tapering barrel-portion 20 relative to the respective mark c. Thus. if the valve stem has been turned. 'for ii'istance` so that the edile ot the barrel or element 18 is in a position near to the mark c designated bv the numeral 1. as suggested b v the dot-and-'dash line in Figure 2. and it' it is assumed that the mark n, designated by the numeral .'i is in a registering position with the mark o designated by the letter A, thirty-hundredths of the full valve opening is thereby indicated. In this manner, when the number of threads per inch in the. threaded port-ion 8 of the stem 9 is known, and when the degree of fluid pressure is also known, the quantity of fluid flowing within a specitied time through the valve is easily ascertainable. By providing the threaded portion 8 with the correct number of threads per inch and by arranging the marks a, and c accordingly, a reading of a thousandth of an inch and even less may be obtained, so that the 'flow of the minutest quantities through the uids or gases, can be instantly measured and that the valve thus is adapted for numerous uses, oven including'the use for such scientific purposes as demand the most nearly accurate reading that is humanly possible.

W'hen the packing 1l has been worn so that it becomes necessary to retighten the gland l() upon the valve-stem guide 7. such retightening may cause another mark I) to be most available for observation, as shown in Figure l, which suggests that the gland l() has been turned in theidirection of the arrow in Figure 3 until the mark I; designated hy the lettenB is directly in front of the observer, while the marks designated by the letters and C are respectively at the left and the right and therefore not so easily observable. After the retightening of the gland, the element 18 is set with reference to the mark designated by the letter B in the same manner as explained with reference to the mark b designated by the letter A. From the foregoing it is obvious that the gland may be repaeked and that any of the marks Z) respectively des,- ignated bythe letters A, B, C, I), 'E or F may be most available for observation after the tightening of the gland on the valve-stein guide 7 and also that the element 18 may b e set and locked accordingly in a correct position upon the valve stem 9.

I wish it to be understood that, while my invention has been shown as `applied to a valve having a gland 10 adapted to be screwed upon a valve-stem guide1 7, it is adapted to be applied in numerous other wa-vs and to valves of a type different from that shown. The principle of my invention may be applied, 'for example, to valves` in which the follower for holding the packing around the valve stem in a stutling box is adjustably secured to the valve body by nuts and bolts, but, since such an application and similar applications of my invention are clear t rom the foregoing disclosure of one embodiment of the invention, an illustration and a description thereof appear to be unnecessary.

It is also evident from the disclosure of my invention that, as long` as a valve. constructed according to the principle tlicreot, is installed in such a. position that the marks a are readvalve, either of liq-L able, it. may be turned to almost any1 position and may still be easily readable by an observer without causing him to strain himself in order to obtain the reading. The valve of my invention thus has a. distinct advantage ovei' other forms of graduated valves hitherto known in the art, which valves, when it is necessary o install them in an awkward position, either can not be read or can be read only with the utmost ditliculty and by causing an observer to strain himself, thus making him liable to serious physical injuries.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a valve provided with a stein having a valve member thereon and being in a screwthreaded relation to the valve body, a gland having` virtually coi'icentrically thereon a tubular member and being adjustably connected with the valve body, the tubular ineinber being longitudinally provided with an indicating mark and annularly provided with indicating marks equidstantly spaced from one another in correspondence with the threads on the valve stein; and a tubular element adjustably attached to the stem so as to be adapted to rotate freely around the gland member, the tubular element having spaced indicating marks concentrically thereon, so that, by the relation of the respective'marks on the element to the longitudinal mark and the annular marks on the gland member, the closed position of the Valve member, or the degree of valve opening, may be accurately indicated.

2. In ar valve provided with a stem having a valve member thereon and being in a screwthreaded relation to the valve body, a gland lia-ving virtually concentrically thereon a tubular member and being adjustably connected wit-h the valve body, the tubular member being longitudinally provided with a plurality of indicating marks and annularly provided with indicating marks equidistantly spaced from one another in correspondence with the threads on the valve stein; and a tubular element adjustably attached to the stem so as to be adapted to rotate freely around the gland member, the tubular element having spaced indicating marks circumferentially thereon, so that. by the relation of the respective marks on the element to a respective longitudinal mark and the annular niarks on the gland member, the closed position of the valve member, or the degree of valve opening, may be accurately indicated.

3. In a valve provided with a stern having a valve member thereon and being in a screwthre'aded relation to the valve body. a gland having virtually coneentrically thereon a. tubular member and being adjustabhl connected with the valve body,r the tubular incinber being longitudinally provided with a plurality of indicating marks, extending over l UU v(he juncture portion of the member with the gland and over the sides of the latter, and also being annularly provided with indicating marks equidistantly spaced from one another in correspondence With the threads on the valve stem; and a tubular element adjustably attached to the Stem so as to be adapted lto rotate freely around the gland member, the tubular element having spaced indicating marks eincumferentially thereon, se that, vby the relation of the respective longitudinal mark and the annular marks on the gland member, the closed position of the -Valve member, or the degree of valve opening, may be accurately indicated. v

In testimony whereof I affix myy signature.

LUIGI LANZA. 

